Bhagalpur: ‘Missing’ Sitting MP Ajay Mandal To Face Congress’ Ajeet Sharma (image-X/AjayMandalMPbgp)

Seeking a re-election from his home turf of Bhagalpur, sitting MP and Janata Dal (United) candidate Ajay Kumar Mandal is a three-term MLA – twice from Nathnagar and once from Kahalgaon. Riding on the Modi wave in 2019, Mandal secured victory in the Bhagalpur Lok Sabha constituency with 6.1 lakh votes, surpassing RJD’s Bulo Mandal by a substantial margin of over 2.75 lakh votes.

This time, his opponent is Bollywood actor Neha Sharma’s father, three-time MLA and Congress candidate Ajeet Sharma. Belonging to the upper-caste Bhumihar community, Sharma is currently an MLA in Bhagalpur. He was recently seen in Bhagalpur, accompanied by his daughter, during an election rally.

Notably, Congress is contesting the elections from the constituency after a seven-year gap. Party leader Rahul Gandhi, while addressing a rally on April 20, assured voters that the INDIA alliance will focus on alleviating Dalit welfare, job creation, and women empowerment.

Meanwhile, several Bhagalpur voters claimed that Mandal was “missing’ for the past five years from the constituency and has not done much for its development. Despite that, according to a Deccan Herald report, the people are willing to vote for Mandal once again to increase the chances of PM Modi winning another term.

Known as the silk city of India, Bhagalpur has been under stress, according to residents who are seeking a change in their representative. The Lok Sabha constituency has over 23.3 lakh voters, making it one of the biggest constituencies in Bihar. The Dalit population totals over 12 percent in the region, while the Muslim population comprises 17.68 percent.

Prior to the 1989 Bhagalpur riots, which killed over a thousand people, Congress maintained a stronghold over the seat. However, since then, other parties such as the BJP, CPI(M), RJD, and JD(U) have represented the seat over the years.

The Bhagalpur Lok Sabha constituency, where former union minister and former chief minister of Bihar Bhagwat Jha Azad won over seven times, comprises Vidhan Sabha, including Bihpur, Gopalpur, Pirpainti, Kahalgaon, Bhagalpur, and Nathnagar.

With a literacy rate of 51.78 percent, Bhagalpur will go to the polls in the second phase of elections scheduled to be held on April 26.